How thick?
A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult
thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The
combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with
low density may not perform well.

Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it
will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm
the common domestic thickness.

Types

Sponge rubber

The market’s most popular underlay is available in flat or
waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It
performs well for comfort and has durable spring retention.

P U (polyurethane) foam

PU foam is a relative newcomer to the market, typically made
from recycled offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance
levels with lots of thickness options – and its light weight helps handling.
The product can be recycled again after use.

Crumb rubberFlat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall – offering maximum
protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).

Laminate underlayImproves the acoustic performance of the floor and helps the boards float
above any imperfections in the sub-surface.

Combination

A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination
of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpets with seaming to
bed into the top felt.

Underfloor heating underlayUnderlay and carpet with a combined tog rating of up to 2.5 can be used –
which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0. Most
manufacturers offer specialised products for those who have underfloor heating.

Felt

This traditional (but environmentally friendly) underlay is
made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad
with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among
contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.

Pre-tackified underlay

A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A
removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.

If you’re unsure, ask one of our team who will be able to
help you make the right choice about what’s most suitable for your rooms when
you are choosing your carpets.

On average, it takes one hour to produce a roll of carpet which might take
eight hours to weave.

A tufted carpet is made by hundreds of yarn-threaded needles pushing through
the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as they
are or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is then applied to hold the tufts in place
and a secondary backing is glued...

So,
you’ve found your ideal new flooring, but what do you do with your old carpet?

Recycle it
We can uplift your old carpet, which we then take for recycling, however, there
are a few other options you may wish to consider:

Sell it
If your carpet is in good condition, what about trying to sell it! You can
advertise in the local papers, community noticeboards, Ebay (though make sure you
specify it is for local collection only!) and Gumtree has a free classifieds section.